Rail-joint.



LEWI RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1914.

a Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

| AHIQD THE NORRIS PETERS CO. FHOTC'LITHO WASHING TON. n. c

IIIIIIEU Wlht l fid PATENT UFFI@E.

ALBERT I-I. LEWIS, OF NEW COMERSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOCHARLES C. STARKER AND ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES R. STARKER, BOTH OF NEWCOMERS- TOWN, onro.

RAILFJOINT.

inseam.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915;

Application filed June 16, 1914. Serial No. 845,372.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT H. LEWIS, citizenof the United States, residing at New Comerstown, in the county ofTuscarawas and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvementsin Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to rail joints; and it consists in thepeculiar and advantageous rail joint, hereinafter described anddefinitely claimed, constructed with a view to strongly connecting theadjoining ends of rails and supporting the said ends, and the latter insuch manner that a practically smooth and continuous support for thewheels of a train is afforded and maintained at all times,notwithstanding any expansion or contraction that may take place due tovariations in temperature.

In the accompanying drawings which are hereby made a part hereof: Figure1 is a plan of my novel rail joint. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame, with one of the side walls of the rail-connecting member brokenaway to show the abutment and support between the two side walls of themember. Fig. 3 comprises side elevations of the end portions of the tworails. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the railconnectingmember alone, in the plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 1, lookingtoward the right, and showing the abutment between the side walls ofsaid member, and also showing the end wall at the inner end of therecess in the under side of the base of the member.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all ofthe Views of the drawings.

In furtherance of my invention, the end of the rail at the right, of theconnecting member has its web 1 extended, as indicated by 2, beyond itsbase 3, and also has its head 4 extended beyond the end of the webportion 2. It will also be observed by reference to Fig. 1 that the headportion 4 of the rail is reduced in width, as indicated by 5, for apurpose hereinafter set forth.

The head portion 6 of the rail, at the left of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, isreduced in width for a portion of its length, as indicated by 7 It willalso be observed that the inner end of the web of said rail is recessedas indicated by 8, and that the base 9 of the rail rests in rear of theforward end of the head 6. Both of the rails are provided in their webswith elongated transverse openings 10. The connectmg member of my noveljoint comprises side walls 11 and 12, spaced suiiiciently far apart toreceive the webs of the rails snugly between them. The side wall 12 isof a less height than the side wall 11, in about the proportionillustrated, so as to enable the side wall 12 to rest under and supportthe heads of the rails, with a View to contributing to the continuityand smoothness of the tread on which the wheels of rolling stock move.In addition to the side walls 11 and 12, which are provided withelongated apertures 13, designed with the elongated apertures 10 toreceive connecting bolts 14, the connecting member comprises a headportion 15 designed to rest flush with the head portions of the rails,and

contribute to the continuity and smoothness of the joint, anintermediate portion 16, Figs. 2 and 4, arranged between and fixed withrespect to the side walls 11 and 12 and designed to form an abutment forthe ends of the rail webs, and to rest under and support the rail headsat the meeting point thereof, with a View to assuring the joint beingsmooth and continuous, and a base 17, having notches 18, of elongatedform, by preference, designed for the passage of spikes 19.

By comparison of Figs. 2 and 4, it will be observed that the base 17 isprovided at its underside with a recess 20, which is in communicationwith the space between the side walls 11 and 12, and extends from theleft hand end of the connecting member to a point below the intermediateportion or abutment 16. The said recess 20 is to receive the base 9 ofthe left-hand rail in such manner that the said base rests flush withthe under-side of the base 17 of the connecting member, whicharrangement is advantageous inasmuch as it contributes to themaintenance of the heads of the rails, and connecting member flush witheach other. In this connection I would say that it is my purpose in thepractice of the invention to have the end portions of the rails rest atpoints adjacent the connecting member on sleepers or ties.

It will be manifest from the foregoing that the disposition of the bolts14 in the slots 13 are calculated to afford ample play for the railswhen expansion or contraction takes place. It will also be observed thatnotwithstanding its practical advantages as hereinbefore pointed out, mynovel rail joint is easily made and is therefore inexpensive, and thatthe joint is at once compact and well adapted to withstand the shocksand strains to which rail joints are ordinarily subjected.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is:

1. A rail joint, comprising a rail having its web extended beyond itsbase and its head extended beyond the web and also having the endportion of its head reduced in Width and further having an elongatedopening in its web; a complementary rail having a recess in theforwardportion of its web and also having its head portion extendedbeyond the web and reduced in width at and near its end and furtherhaving an elongated opening in its web; a connecting member havingspaced side walls receiving between them the webs of the rails, one ofsaid walls being of a less height than the other and resting under theheads of the rails, and the other wall having a head portion on itsupper edge, which head portion rests flush with the heads of the rails,and both side walls having elongated openings, and further having anintermediate portion fixed between the side walls and arranged to restunder and support the meeting portions of the rail heads, and furtherhaving a recess in its base communicating with the space between itsside walls and extending from one of its ends to a point below theintermediate portion, said recess receiving the base of the second-namedrail, and bolts extending through the slots or elongated openings.

2. A rail joint comprising rail portions having heads reduced in widthat and near their meeting ends and extending beyond their Webs; aconnecting member having spaced side Walls and also having one of saidwalls of a less height than the other to rest under the heads of therails and further having a head portion on the higher of the two sideWalls, and an intermediate portion fixed between the side walls andinterposed between the webs of the rails and resting under the meetingends of the head portions thereof, and means connecting the rails withthe connecting member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALBERT H. LEWIS. Witnesses CHAS. O. STARKER, HOMER LEWIS.

Copies of this patent may be-obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

